Stim phase and alcohol

[Anonymous]

This is my first round of IVF. I'm 39. Did your doctors tell you no alcohol at all while stimming? (Mine did). I know you'll all tell me why take the risk, but it's been a long three years, and if I had cut it all out the entire time I'd go crazy.

I'm not talking about a glass every night, but I have dinner out tomorrow with friends and I'd like to have at least one or two glasses to avoid questions and relax. Today was Day 3 of injections.

Thoughts?

[Anonymous]

It is probably fine but I wouldn’t personally drink more than half a glass. I’d recommend to friends not to drink more than 1 glass and then try not to drink the rest of the cycle. (Or take a sip if you must). Will your friends say anything if you nurse one drink? Mine wouldn’t....

[Anonymous]

I don't worry about it until after transfer, frankly. My doctor never said anything about avoiding it until then.

[Anonymous]

I think it's fine. None of my doctors or nurses said not to.

[Anonymous]

I was always pro wine while TTC and my nurse told me it was totally fine to drink while stimming, so I did for my first round. I ended up with a lot of eggs (20) and a lot fertilized (15) but only 4 turned to blast. My doctor said this indicated a problem with embryo progression, they just pooped out.
I did a lot differently my second cycle, including adding growth hormone (to the same protocol), cutting caffeine, adding a lot of supplements and totally cutting alcohol during stims and the month before. I got 10 blasts (of 14 fertilized). So, a lot more turned to blast but still the same normal ratio. I have no idea what change helped but I worry that alcohol can really mess with the energy source in the eggs. Anyways, you never know what causes what, but I do regret drinking during my first cycle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I was always pro wine while TTC and my nurse told me it was totally fine to drink while stimming, so I did for my first round. I ended up with a lot of eggs (20) and a lot fertilized (15) but only 4 turned to blast. My doctor said this indicated a problem with embryo progression, they just pooped out.
I did a lot differently my second cycle, including adding growth hormone (to the same protocol), cutting caffeine, adding a lot of supplements and totally cutting alcohol during stims and the month before. I got 10 blasts (of 14 fertilized). So, a lot more turned to blast but still the same normal ratio. I have no idea what change helped but I worry that alcohol can really mess with the energy source in the eggs. Anyways, you never know what causes what, but I do regret drinking during my first cycle.

Too many things changed to know but I’d put my money on the growth hormone. But...regret is real.

[Anonymous]

I say don’t do it period. It’s not worth it. Not saying don’t live. If you need a break take a break from fertility and enjoy what you want to, but mixing alcohol with expensive fertility meds is not worth it. What if it decreases its efficacy? What if it decreases quality of your eggs maturing? The regret is real.

[Anonymous]

Honestly a couple of glasses is not going to make a difference. I had given up all hope after 2 years and started drinking quite a bit (not that I recommend that) and just eating what I wanted and I got pregnant and DS is now 20 months old. Enjoy your life!

[Anonymous]

I wouldn’t do it. If it’s that much of a pain not to drink then you shouldn’t have kids. I’m serious. This is far from the last time you’ll be not drinking for children.

[Anonymous]

I wouldn't do it.

[Anonymous]

My dr's at Columbia Fertility never put limits on drinking. I would ask them and they said it was fine.

[Anonymous]

I think if having those drinks is more important to you than knowing you did everything by the book to get pregnant, go for it.

For me, I knew that my doctor would tell me if it was okay - it's not like RE's arent' aware of the emotional toll and stress of it all, and I needed to know for myself that if a cycle failed that I had done everything in MY control to make it happen. I was with an RE for 3 years too, I know you just want to be normal, but there are also plenty of breaks between cycles and times when you're on BCP that you can have drinks without worry.

[Anonymous]

I drink during regular monthly cycles (the odds of conception happening naturally are so low that I don't sweat it), but I didn't do it while stimming. Really limited it for the month before the cycle as well...also drank de-caf coffee. (blah!) Figured that I was paying $15-20k for the process, might as well do every.single.darn.thing that I could to try to help.

Still no pregnancy, so obviously it wasn't the deciding factor. But no regrets either (on that front, at least).

[Anonymous]

I had a glass of wine or two during stims, including the cycle I had success on (did my trigger shot at a Halloween party where I had a few glasses of vino). I also drank one cup of coffee each day during the process (and now pregnancy). After several years TTC I also felt I needed to live my life a bit for sanity. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

If alcohol had any notable effect on the efficacy of the meds or caused a side effect in combo with the meds it would have to be on the drug label. I don't think anyone would recommend binge drinking, but an occasional glass of wine before transfer isn't something to worry about.